As NI's top two politicians tucked into a hearty breakfast in the USA today, their plan to underline the importance of continuing US funding for the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) was sharply in focus.

The organsiation that channels the cash to job creation and enterprise in NI and the border counties has come in for criticism.

The IFI was today slammed by the influential chairman of a prominent Irish-American lobby group. Trina Vargo of the US-Ireland Alliance said the US government should stop giving money to the fund because it was "creating a culture of dependency".

Hitting back, the Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland, Denis Rooney, said the money is spent very carefully: "The IFI funding is very important for communities in Northern Ireland and in the border counties," he said.

"This has been evaluated recently and it produced a very strong record of effectiveness and success.

"Congress itself knows about the projects and we've also got an observer from the US who comes along to the board meetings.

"They have all seen the value of the work, particularly things like the sharing neighbourhood programme," he told BBC NI today, noting that the IFI is supported by donations from other countries too.

It gets money from the European Union as well as the governments of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

But Ms Vargo today pointed out that the unemployment rate in Northern Ireland remains lower than in the US - despite having jumped to 8% in official UK data released today.

This has put the US visit by Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness into focus.

In advance of tomorrow's St Patrick's Day celebrations they are today at a Congressional Breakfast event, hosted by Congressman Peter King, after which they will speak to key senators in relation to the International Fund for Ireland.

They will later meet with Senators Patrick Leahy and John Kerry who play powerful roles on Senate committees to strongly advocate continuation of the Fund.

The visit follows earlier lobbying on retaining IFI funding from the USA by the Stormont Junior Minister, DUP MLA, Robin Newton.

Later, the First and Deputy First Ministers will also attend a business event hosted by US Economic Envoy Declan Kelly and the US Chamber of Commerce before attending the annual American Ireland Fund Dinner.

See: Stormont Leaders Head To USA For Paddy's Day

See: International Funds Discussed In US

(BMcC)